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Skarrek
=Description= Skarrek (22 BBY) is a massive Barabel assassin who has always lived by one abiding rule: survival of the fittest. The universe is made up of predators and prey. Predators hunt prey. Putting the trappings of so-called civilization around it changes nothing. There are no innocents. He can be quite vicious and won’t think twice about ripping out somebody’s throat simply because they’re annoying him. He holds loyalties to very few, but to those he does hold in high regard, Skarrek is a loyal and trustworthy companion. In fact, Skarrek makes a point of never making a promise unless he intends to keep it. Skarrek is very cunning and will often exploit the general assumption that he’s a mindless killer to his advantage. Many foes have underestimated him only to pay the price in blood later. Only one being in the galaxy has ever beaten him each and every time they’ve faced off: the Rodian known as Nashka. Thanks to Nashka, Skarrek has a particular hatred for Rodians and takes great pleasure in ending their lives. Unlike a lot of Barabel, Skarrek holds no reverence for the Jedi. He sees them as weak and undeserving of the power they wield. Using the Force, in Skarrek’s mind, is a cheat against the natural order of the galaxy. No true warrior would ever rely on anything more than his own body and skills. There are only two people in the galaxy that Skarrek considers to be family. One is the Trandoshan Ket Maliss who has become Skarrek's blood brother. The other is the Arkanian Alessandra Jevata, his lover and girlfriend. Throughout his life, Skarrek has resolutely defied a galaxy that has tried one way or another to get him to change his ways. No force so far has ever broken him, and as Skarrek sees it, no force ever will... =Appearance= Skarrek almost always wears black, light combat armor. After a nasty run-in with a bounty hunter, Skarrek has also taken to wearing shock-proof finger-less gloves over his hands so he can handle live electrical wires. =Skills= Eyesight Skarrek belongs to a rare minority of Barabels. While most can't see past yellow in the light spectrum, relying more on infrared, Skarrek can see all of the colors without a problem. Bloodlust The bloodlust increases Skarrek's already formidable strength and pain tolerance to unheard of levels, making him even more dangerous to those who face him. Before learning to control it, Skarrek's bloodlust would consume him and turn him into a mindless animal, but after some tutelage by Ket Maliss, Skarrek has since mastered this ability and can use it with complete control. Omega Project Changes Imperial experimentation early in his life increased Skarrek’s ability to heal his wounds. He was also gifted with the ability to rapidly break down poisons and toxins introduced into his body. The experimentation is also what increased his size past that of the average Barabel. Weapons For the most part, Skarrek doesn’t rely on weapons, preferring to take out his enemies with his bare hands. However, there are a few things he employs on a fairly regular basis. Melee *'Collapsible Force Pike' Designed to work with his prodigious strength and give him a longer reach, Skarrek’s force pike can be collapsed into a rod about as long as a typical lightsaber handle. This not only makes it easier to carry, but also easier to smuggle into worlds that might have a ban on such weapons. With a single push of its recessed button, the force pike will instantly shoot out to its full length or retract back down into its compact form. A simple twist of the pike will lock it into place in either form to make sure that an accidental push of the button, or some other mishap, doesn’t cause the pike to change shape unless Skarrek wishes it. Instead of using cortosis, Skarrek had his pike fashioned out of phrik, a similar alloy capable of withstanding lightsaber blades. Although phirk is rarer that cortosis, it is also much more durable, giving Skarrek an extraordinarily resilient weapon. Projectile *'Custom Hunting Rifle' The only projectile weapon Skarrek prefers to use is his custom hunting rifle. It is an entirely original design, built to be very simple and durable so as to make sure it can withstand a lot of punishment. In preference to his desire to fight hand-to-hand, the rifle can also double as a melee weapon if need be. The handle is specially shaped so Skarrek can wield it comfortably in either configuration. As it was built with Skarrek's strength in mind, the recoil of his blaster rifle, as well as its sheer weight, tends to be more than most species can deal with. As a blaster rifle, Skarrek's gun is very high-powered, able to burn through most body armors with ease. It has a maximum of 25 shots per pack at full power before its energy is expended. Unlike a lot of other guns, Skarrek's rifle has slots to attach four powerpacks at once in order to give him up to 100 shots. The rifle's power output can also be adjusted to preserve energy, but Skarrek rarely makes use of the function. A pop-up scope can also be utilized for sniping, however, it is also rarely used. As a melee weapon, the blaster rifle has a thick blade that is affixed along the entire length of the barrel, with the end near the muzzle jutting out to function as a bayonet. Skarrek is able to either stab his enemies with the bayonet portion or change his grip and swing the rifle like a sword. The blade has a vibro-generator in it, but most of the time Skarrek doesn’t bother to activate it. Skarrek has had several copies of his rifle built for him in case one is destroyed and owns the patent to the design to keep others from using it. The blaster rifle itself is so large that Skarrek must wear it on his back until he needs to use it. Equipment *'Light Combat Armor' Skarrek is usually never seen without his combat armor on. The armor is a dark black and covers him from the neck down. It is designed primarily to work in conjunction with his scales to absorb blaster shots, but also gives some limited protection against melee attacks. It is light combat armor by necessity so as to give him as much freedom of movement as possible. *'Microbe Armor' In addition to his regular armor, Skarrek has also picked up several sets of microbe armor after learning about it on Barab I. He doesn't use this armor very often as it only protects against energy weapons, however when he knows blasters are all he'll have to worry about, he'll don it as the microbe armor is better protection against blasters than his regular armor. =History= Early Life Skarrek was born on the Barabel homeworld of Barab I, but he was soon kidnapped by slavers. Too young to learn about his cultural heritage, Skarrek never developed a reverence for Jedi or learned the many customs and traditions of his people. His clan fought to the last member against the slavers, but superior numbers and technology by the slavers ended up winning the day. However, the stand by Skarrek's clan would soon become legendary on Barab I thanks to the huge number of slavers that would never get off Barab I with their lives thanks to the fierce battle. Omega Project The slavers, working at the time for a Hutt named Dorval, eventually sold the young Skarrek to an Imperial Colonel named Xamas. Xamas was in charge of a top-secret Imperial project codenamed the Omega Project. The Omega Project’s lofty task was to see how best to break the will of every alien species under the domination of the Empire and then to turn them into brutal warriors. It didn't matter if they were already natural killers or pacifistic by nature, the Empire wanted them all to be living weapons. Skarrek, given the designation of Subject 268, endured long years under the Omega Project, unwillfully subjected to their experiments and their trials. Through it all, despite their best efforts, the Imperials never managed to break his will. Skarrek resisted it all by clinging on to his one burning desire to make everyone responsible for his suffering pay for it with their lives when he had a chance. He was given that chance when two Rodians, a male and a female, named Nashka and Caila respectively, were brought into the Omega Project. Skarrek and Nashka, being likeminded in their dislike of Imperials, and near equals in their fighting prowess, developed a fast friendship. Proving himself a better fighter than Skarrek in a trial, Nashka underwent a few modifications of his own suggestion to make him even deadlier. Once the Imperials had given him his new abilities, Nashka, with Skarrek’s help, staged a massive prisoner revolt. The resulting carnage utterly leveled the Omega Base and ended the Omega Project for good. The few people who escaped were summarily hunted down, which included any of the Omega Project’s unstable test subjects. The only one who managed to stay out of Skarrek or Nashka’s reach was Colonel Xamas, much to Skarrek’s frustration. The Dinkos Soon after their destruction of the Omega Project, Skarrek and Nashka jointly created an organization known as the Dinkos. They started out small; the initial group was comprised of Skarrek, Nashka, Caila, Nashka’s personal assassin droid, K1-0 (Kayonezero), and the "Devil’s Pair," otherwise known as Sabra, a female Zabrak, and Kevro, a male Devaronian. Of this initial group, all would survive to the present day except for Caila, and it would be her death that would ultimately spell the end of Skarrek and Nashka’s friendship. The Dinkos sold themselves as freelance assassins and they turned out to be very good at what they did. So good, in fact, that they could demand large fees for their services and others would soon come to join their group, most notably a Chevin munitions expert named Julsik Tor. However a huge problem soon arose, Skarrek was determined to hold onto his success, and indeed his happiness from being with the Dinkos, so he kept a sharp eye out for anyone who might look to betray them. Betrayal It came to pass that he suspected Caila of selling information to the enemy. He brought his suspicions to Nashka, but given the fact that Caila was Nashka’s beloved girlfriend, he disregarded Skarrek’s suspicions as nonsense. Skarrek, however, refused to believe that he was wrong and was determined to seal the information leak and murdered Caila. It didn’t take long for Nashka to discover who had killed his girlfriend. At the time Nashka and Skarrek had shared joint-control of the Dinkos, so the two fought a battle that is now legend to those who witnessed it. Nashka eventually came out victorious and assumed sole control of the Dinkos, banishing Skarrek from the organization. Not long after Skarrek left, Nashka put a sizable bounty on Skarrek for fellow Dinko members to undertake as practice, but no one who went after Skarrek ever came back alive. The bounty still stands today. Unknown to both Skarrek and Nashka, the real people behind the betrayal were Sabra and Kevro of the Devil’s Pair. When Skarrek was banished, they faked their own deaths and left the Dinkos, only to show up years later in charge of a pirate organization known as the Void Demons. Black Sun About a year after his expulsion from the Dinkos, Skarrek joined Black Sun and was put under a Vigo named Jude. Skarrek undertook several missions for Jude and proved himself to be a killer with few equals. Prince Xizor, however, grew tired of Jude’s incompetence in other matters and had the Vigo killed. In Jude’s place, Xizor tried an experiment known as the Triad. The Triad was comprised of three Vigos all working together for one goal. The people promoted to this rank were Nilanna Krynnin, Grant Tirelli, and, much to Skarrek’s dismay, Nashka. Nashka, not content to simply see Skarrek dead for what he did to Caila, had the Barabel placed under his jurisdiction, and set out to make Skarrek suffer. Nashka was determined to break him as the Imperials had failed to do all those years ago. To his credit, Nashka came closer than anyone when he managed to kill Colonel Xamas, the former head of the Omega Project, right in front of Skarrek’s eyes, robbing him of the chance to do it himself. Nashka’s efforts aside, Skarrek helped advance the Triad’s goals, and in doing so ran across other fierce warriors. Some were allies, like Nilanna’s right-hand man, Arik Nevarr. Others were enemies, like the tenacious bounty hunter, Nexus. Skarrek undertook several memorable missions, even one that required him to enter a galactic fighting tournament. He first pairing matched him up with a Jedi known as Devon Vos, but before he could get much into the fight, Black Sun ordered him to throw the match, which he reluctantly did. As successful as the Triad was, it was soon dissolved after it became evident to the Vigos that Xizor was using and planning to betray them. Luckily enough, Xizor was killed soon after the Triad disbanded and Black Sun fell apart. Life After Black Sun Skarrek took the opportunity to strike out on his own and meet up with an old Arkanian acquaintance he had met during his time under Jude, Glasius Jevata. Glasius and Skarrek formed a partnership, with Glasius handling the business end of the arrangement and Skarrek performing the actual jobs. Working with Glasius, Skarrek continued in the profession he was best at: assassination. From there he continued to add to his already fearsome reputation, spreading his name across the rumor mills of the galaxy. It would soon pay off as he was contracted to beat the infamous Trandoshan, Ket Maliss, to the edge of death. Skarrek, well aware of Ket’s accomplishments, looked forward to the mission and was bitterly disappointed when he discovered Ket had no desire to fight. That didn’t stop Skarrek though, he went through with the mission, ready to kill Ket if he needed to, in order to "save" him. A battle of epic proportions ensued as the two titans went head-to-head in pure unrestrained fury. Skarrek eventually lost when his own rage and bloodlust consumed him, turning him into a mindless animal, and giving the still clear-headed Ket the edge he needed. After the battle, Skarrek stuck around to learn what he could from Ket on how to use his bloodlust to his advantage instead of letting it control him. Ket gave what advice he could, but because of his own struggles, couldn’t offer more than that. Skarrek in turn gave Ket some advice on how to overcome being an Imperial puppet. He then left in peace, perhaps not as friends, but as equals; a title Skarrek reserved for very few. The Frame Up Skarrek's life as a loner would end up being changed forever when a corrupt New Republic commander named Kyn Rilos framed Skarrek for the murder of Glasius. The plan was almost perfect. Rilos hired a Shi'ido assassin named Isar Olaar to impersonate Skarrek as Isar killed Glasius in front of a security camera. Glasius was murdered because he had learned too much about Rilos's plan to eventually replace Leia Organa Solo as the New Republic Prime Minister. Skarrek would learn of Glasius's death by being setup to arrive shortly after Isar made the kill. After shooting his way through a police barricade, Skarrek ended up meeting with Glasius's daughter, Alessandra. Glasius had made Skarrek swear an oath long ago to not kill any member of the Jevata family, so Alessandra knew that Skarrek wasn't the real killer. Despite Skarrek's objections, Alessandra insisted on accompanying Skarrek to find her father's real killer. With the failure of the police to capture Skarrek, Rilos sent several bounty hunters and even a New Republic Special Forces team known as Whipser to eliminate Skarrek. Even Ket Maliss joined in on the hunt, for while he respected Skarrek there was no bond at the time that kept him from killing the Barabel and collecting the bounty. Skarrek would face off against Ket again on the planet Thyferra. After another brutal no-hold’s barred fight, in which Skarrek learned to control his bloodlust, the Barabel emerged victorious. Instead of killing the Trandoshan however, Skarrek spared his life and explained to Ket that he was innocent. Ket agreed to help Skarrek and left to uncover who was really behind Glasius's murder. It was also on Thyferra that Skarrek and Alessandra would discover their true feelings for each other. Despite being annoyed with her at first, the Arkanian would gradually prove herself worthy in Skarrek's eyes. After Alessandra was almost killed in a deathlock with a huge Thyferrian predator, Skarrek came to recognize her as a fellow predator. These feelings would increase and be solidified when Alessandra ended up being the one to kill Isar on Ord Mantell, saving Skarrek's life. Once Glasius's true killer was dead, the two met up with Ket on Halowan and stormed Rilos's base. Although the three were vastly outnumbered, the New Republic soldiers couldn't stop them and Skarrek managed to kill Rilos. In thanks for Ket’s assistance and out of the respect he already had for the Trandoshan, Skarrek asked Ket to become his blood brother. Ket agreed and after a short ceremonial swapping of blood, the two were joined as the closest thing to family either of them had. With Rilos dead, Alessandra returned to Coruscant to take over her father’s business empire. To keep Skarrek’s many enemies from targeting Alessandra, the two worked under the guise that Skarrek was her hired bodyguard. It was the closest thing to lasting happiness that Skarrek had experienced in his life. Homecoming Alessandra would soon be forced to return to Thyferra after the Empire retook Coruscant. It would be there that she and Skarrek would have a conversation that would have lasting consequences in the future. After learning that Skarrek had never returned to Barab I after his abduction by slavers as a child, she encouraged him to return to his homeworld and learn about his people’s culture. Skarrek was reluctant to leave Alessandra’s side, but eventually decided to go when he realized that part of the reason he’d never gone back was because he was afraid he wouldn’t fit into Barabel society; the one place where he actually wanted outside acceptance. Never one to let his fears own him, Skarrek left the next day after a tender goodbye with Alessandra. Upon his arrival, Skarrek was immediately arrested by New Republic soldiers for his so-called crimes. For once he didn’t fight back, curious as to how his people would react to his being taken into custody. The response from the ruling clans was quick and they called back their senator to the New Republic, a legendary Barabel named Rashrak, to put Skarrek under his charge until a definite ruling could be made. Skarrek would learn much from Rashrak in the next few days about the Barabel people and about how he was seen by them. After being detested by galactic civilization for most of his life, Skarrek was shocked to learn that his exploits were not only known on Barab I, but celebrated and admired. He was something of an idol to many Barabel. Along with the good came the bad, as Skarrek also discovered that traditional Barabel culture was slowly being contaminated by the influence of the outside galaxy. In fact, his arrival helped polarize the populace of the planet into two distinct groups: those who supported the changes and those who didn’t. Every Barabel knew that the choice the ruling clans made about whether to turn Skarrek over to the New Republic would reflect the direction Barab I would go in the future. The choice turned out to be heavier than even the clans were prepared to deal with, so the decision was made to give Skarrek a chance to decide his own fate. The Trial of Skarrek Skarrek was put on "trial" to settle matters. Skarrek’s trial essentially consisted of him dueling a New Republic champion; the victor would then be allowed to decide Skarrek’s fate. After a bloody fight with the Republic champion, another assassin known as Hartara the Carver, Skarrek emerged victorious and won the support of the clans to keep him from being prosecuted while on the planet. However, it didn’t end there. Adjutant Julas Tec, the highest authority for the New Republic on the planet, refused to acknowledge the verdict and instead put Barab I under martial law until Skarrek either surrendered himself or was handed over to New Republic authorities. Tec’s blatant disrespect for Barab I’s customs swayed many former supporters to side against him and the New Republic. Skarrek himself eventually settled the matter by appearing to surrender. With some assistance from sympathetic forces within the New Republic, Skarrek was able to get close enough to Tec to kill him. Afterwards, the remaining New Republic forces that had been loyal to Tec surrendered, ending the lockdown of the planet. A vote was later held by the clan leaders on the issue of Barab I’s sovereignty, the verdict was unanimous, and Barab I declared its independence soon after. A New Start With Barab I's independence also came another problem, the planet needed someone to oversee it into a new age. Several nominees were mentioned with Skarrek and Rashrak being the most notable. Once again a battle was decided upon as the only fair way to choose. All of the nominees were put into one battle royal in which the eventual winner would be declared the leader of Barab I. The battle soon wound down to only Skarrek and Rashrak. Each gave as good as they got, but Skarrek's sheer ferocity and youth eventually gave him the edge to defeat Rashrak. However, instead of accepting the position of leader of Barab I, Skarrek gave it to Rashrak, stating that the older Barabel would be a much more capable ruler than him. Rashrak accepted, ushering the Barabel people into a new age. For all that Skarrek ended up doing for Barab I, Rashrak presented him with a gift: a new CEC YV-929 Armed Freighter. Although Skarrek had never been inclined to own a ship before, something about the craft spoke to him. Skarrek decided to keep it, naming it Bloodrage. Skarrek left soon afterwards, eager to return to Alessandra and his life with her. =Current Activity= Skarrek returned to Thyferra only to find out that it had been taken over by the Xen'Chi in his absence. After managing to make it to the surface, Skarrek scoured the planet for any sign of Alessandra and found no trace of her. Not quite willing to give up hope, Skarrek had his various sources look for any information they could find about Alessandra after he left the planet. So far, the only thing he has learned conclusively was that Alessandra was still on Thyferra when the Xen’Chi invaded. Nothing else has surfaced though and Skarrek has sworn vengeance against the galactic invaders, promising to fight them at every turn. He has managed to gather a small group of Barabel warriors to serve under him while he carries out his vendetta. Word is already spreading among the Xen’Chi of a monster in black scales who cannot be stopped… =Active Threads= The Xen Chi Invasion: To Kill a Goddess - Strange Alliances Category:HalomekCategory:BarabelsCategory:AssassinsCategory:Black SunCategory:Featured ArticleCategory:Trinivii Kajidic